Monday 1/20/14 "I Promise"

Dear Father in Heaven:  Thanks for forgiving me of my sins, and Lord, I want to repent and walk with You daily, please help me with that.  Thanks for watching over families and friends, and thanks for watching over this line.  Lord, please be with Ray Funk as he has surgery.  Father, there is a group of people I ask that You bless this day.  They are former Central Dauphin School bus drivers.  Father, please touch their health and use them to spread the safety they learned to others who drive in the winter.  Lord, thanks for yesterday.  It was really special.  Now, Lord, if You would, bless me with a message and help me to dispatch it.  In Jesus' Name, I pray.  Amen.  And Father in Heaven, please help us to remember what Jesus taught us and Martin Luther King, Jr., also taught us as Dr. King surely did love Jesus.

Hi, brothers and sisters.  Please pray today for the works of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., to not be lost.  This man served Jesus first and then helped people.  Ray Funk also needs prayers.  Ray is from Oregon.  On this first day of the week, please pray for our leaders, pray for veterans, for our current military, and for all those who work hard to keep us free and safe.  Please keep praying for families, all families, your family, my family, the families who use this line, and please pray for the family who lives at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave., Washington, DC.  Now let me get to the message.

Monday, January 20, 2014, "I Promise," (Day One).

Ephesians 6:1 - Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.  2 Honor your father and mother, which is the first commandment with a promise 3 that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.  (NIV)

Exodus 20:12 - Honor your father and mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you.  (NIV)

Today we prayed for families, and The Lord talked to my heart about promises.  "I Promise," I am calling this series.  Let me start with a question.  Have you ever made a promise?  Silly me, of course you have made a promise, and more than likely lots and lots of them.  Now let me ask you this question.  Have you ever made a promise that you did not keep?  I confess I have!  The only person that I know of that made promises and did not break any is Jesus.  Now, Jesus has made promises that have not been fulfilled as of this time, but He never broke a promise.  This week and maybe even next week we will look at some promises, some made by man and broken, and some made by God, already fulfilled and some that are yet to come.  Today let me start with a few promises that over the years I have made.  Some I have broken, and others I am trying my best to keep.  Ready?  This one from most men.

"I promise to put the toilet seat down when I am finished."  Okay, let me get serious.  The scripture that God led me to today is the first commandment with a promise.  The Commandment is the one where we are told to "Honor your father and mother."  And the promise from God is, "if we obey this commandment we will live longer in the land your God is giving you."  If we take notice, there are two promises in this.  One is we will live longer if we honor our parents, and the other is we will do it in the land God is giving us.  That is two.  God is good.  It is sad that God gave us the land, and our leaders, since forever, have charged us to live on it.  You remember it was going on even before Jesus was born.  In fact, it is tax time again right now.  So let me look at one more promise today.  But before that, how about we go to prayer and we promise God something today?  Will you follow my lead on this?  I can't pray this one for you.

Dear Father in Heaven, You have promised to forgive me of my sins if I love You and if I just ask, so today, Lord, I am calling on that promise from You to wipe out my sins, and Lord, in return, I am in need of repenting and I want to promise You that I am going to do my best to repent, to turn and walk away from sin.  I do need Your help on this, Lord, and again, I am going to try my best.  In Jesus' name, I ask and pray.  Help me, Lord.  Amen.

Of course the promise from God on this is just what I was talking about.  Jesus will forgive us of our sins.  He made that a promise.  Your homework, tell me where you find it in your Bible.  Have a blessed day.  And remember to share your blessings.  Oh, and will you make a promise to share your blessings?  No, not to me, but to God.  Love ya.  Please pass on the love.

Pastor Dan